You're friendly neighborhood Oni

There it was. His first night out as a caped crusader. He had come across another group of genin of all things who were plotting nefarious schemes. It seemed there was someone from their class who was a bit of a show off. He had beat each of them individually in a spar before it seemed or so he had caught on listening in on them in an alley. For shinobi of the same rank as him they certainly weren't perceptive. Or at the very least they never looked up. Had they looked up they would have seen the here known as Oni. He had decided on something familiar for him and since hiding his horns wasn't really an option...Tsumi had opted for an identity that included them. The issue was he wasn't exactly a craftsman. So sewing his own outfit together was out of the idea. His leather vest he had spray painted a dark red and he put on black shinobi pants on under that with black slippers to make him quiet like a ninja. Well...he was a ninja technically but...well real ninja wear sneaky slippers. Besides though was the C rank gauntlets on his hands and the sheet tied around the top part of his face. His hair was tucked into it but he had cut out cruddy holes for the eyes and his horns poked through all the same. All together it was a hastily put together costume and nothing to be proud of. Or taken seriously.

Tsumi on the other hand took this very seriously. These hooligans were off to go jump some other poor kid. Likely without warning. It was unfair to fight that way but the law wouldn't step in over a conversation overheard in an ally. Not in time anyway. It was up to Oni. The demon that stalks the stormy Kumo nights. A knight by his own birthright and yet shunned as a demon. His torn childhood where his parents were shot in an alley and then raised him on a farm despite not being human and his superhuman abilities. Yes that backstory was awesome. He almost had to snap to when he noticed they had come to a consensus and were heading straight for the training grounds. Apparently the kid was training in urban terrain. So Tsumi would follow them from the roofs as long as he could. Watching them entering in he would hide his disguise....taking off the blanket briefly to enter in and check in. He had no idea how to actually sneak in. There was just like...a front door right? So once he was checked in he would B line it for the urban section to put a stop to crime and its evildoers.

As soon as he was inside the blanket went back on. Which admittedly took him a minute to tie back on. Once he had lined up all the holes....tearing the horn holes a little more in the process and tied it back. Tsumi would head for the roofs again. Searching for a minute or two before he heard a commotion. There was fighting nearby. He would rush to the aid of the poor soul! Bullies would know justice! So he would rush across the roofs until he spotted them. The three boys were kicking another kid on the ground harshly. Golden eyes would flash as Tsumi would lose himself to the moment. Tunnel visioning in on the three as he pushed himself. Like a bolt Tsumi would light up off the top of the roof at almost B rank speed. Jumping five meters away as he went for a flying kick. Yelling out a new move at his enemies.

"IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE YOU CRIMINALS WILL FACE.....JUSTICE! DARKVALE DROPKICK!" actually landing a kick on one of them and sending him flying and unconscious.

Kara was spending a few hours overseeing maintenance of the Royal Kumogakure Training Facility. The building was designed to withstand significant force, as it would have to considering it had been constructed to allow a safe place to train any imaginable tech, but it did require some maintenance to keep its structural integrity. It was fairly late, but things such as the time of day never stopped Kara from attending to her duties. She had been sitting in one of the administration offices and going through maintenance reports when she noticed someone check in on one of the cameras. Not an entirely unusual occurrence, it was late, but training never stopped. What was odd to her was the outfit the person was wearing; among other things he had a vest that was clearly hastily spray painted. Intrigued, Kara made a note of where he seemed to be heading and placed down her work orders and followed after the man.

Kara was not exactly stealthy, not with stiletto heels as her go-to fashion accessory, but she was far enough behind the masked man that he didn’t seem to notice her. She followed him into the Urban training room and did her best to stay out of sight, her black wool pantsuit making it that much easier for her to blend in. More than anything she was simply curious and having been absorbed in her work she was in need of a break. The masked man seemed to zero in on a group of Genin that had taken to exercising their quadriceps on another young man who was laying on the ground. Why all three of them were kicking the poor boy, she couldn’t imagine. That sort of punishment was usually reserved for opponents that were too difficult to combat any other way. She knew, intellectually, that she should probably step in and stop them. But getting involved in other people’s affairs, historically, had not been good for her. So while she was debating the pros and cons of actually getting involved, the masked man leapt from a nearby rooftop and executed a stunning flying kick, immediately knocking one of the bullies unconscious.

His kick, while impressive, was not what drew her attention. It was the name he had given the kick; Darhkvale Dropkick. Her gold eyes widened slightly, and instead of moving forward to break up the fight, she leaned against a brick wall with her arms crossed in front of her and observed. She could tell that the one assailant that had been kicked was just unconscious and not seriously injured. If necessary she could tend to him in a few minutes, and the masked man did not have any weapons that she could see so she wasn’t particularly concerned about grievous injuries. For now, she would merely observe the fight and step in only if there was real danger. So Kara leaned against the wall and pondered where the vigilante had come up with the name for his technique, and the possible ramifications of that.

Tsumi was entirely unaware of the woman who had followed him. He wasn't nearly perceptive enough even with here idle attempt to conceal herself in stiletto's. He had been focused entirely on his task after all and was too naive to think anyone would have noticed him yet. Nor to even realize there were cameras here. Instead he was too busy being focused on being the hero of the story. He hadn't even come up with a good name yet. Or a catch phrase...or a decent costume. He just knew he had to do what was right. He had a drive to help those in need. He could hear the sobs of the kid of the ground and his anger was boiling over. The one he had kicked was out for the count laying on the ground. But the other two were angry now. They saw what they were doing as justified. That this beat up kid on the ground had it coming to him for being so proud. For embarrassing them all and showing them their limitations. He had stomped all of them so as a group they had stomped him. An eye for an eye mentality. It was a pity really.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you hit Juru!"

One of them yelled out and reached down to his belt. Pulling out a Kunai. His other friend had snarled and when he saw that hesitated a moment. They were just beating up another kid before..but pulling out a blade made this fight something else. That made it so someone could die right? He hadn't even considered how they might accidentally beat the other kid to death. He hesitated now since things were getting real for him. Were they going to kill this poorly masked guy? If so could they get away with it? A training accident right? He would pull up a taijutsu stance of his own and swallow. He wasn't sure where this was going but he couldn't back out now. He was complicit in this now. But he wouldn't do the stabbing at least so....even if they did get caught. His hesitation however was not something the one with the Kunai shared. The one with the Kunai would turn it into a reverse grip and run straight at Tsumi with a yell before jumping up and trying to stab down at the hero. A true villain move.

Tsumi however was holding back so Arhat wouldn't do him any good. Nor would demon transformation. These were small fries after all. But he had learned recently in his training session with his master that sometimes speed was superior to strength. So he would take a breath and assume the Spring chant taijutsu stance. Raising his coordination from C to B. He would shift as the one who charged him came down. Side stepping the blow as the kunai stabbed down. His own hands would strike out in rapid succession along the arm of his attacker. He was attempting to fight which meant holding back was difficult and he heard out of the blows the kids arm crack twice. He would stop as the kid dropped to the ground and held his arm crying out in pain. Holding his hands up as his stance dropped and hovering over him. Ignorant of the other kid seeing an opportunity behind him as Tsumi spoke.

"Oh my god I am so sorry! I thought you were stronger so I didn't hold back enough. You..you're gonna be alright. Just uh..well lets get you to a hospital and they can fix you right up. Uh.uh...Jesus please don't cry!"


Used spring chant

Kara watched from the shadows, her arms crossed and leaning against a brick wall. The scene was not terribly violent, all things considered - they were shinobi after all. But she became concerned when one of the Genin pulled out a kunai. Weapons meant it was getting more serious, and when there were weapons in untrained hands accidents tended to occur. The masked man seemed prepared however and quickly and efficiently disarmed his opponent. But while doing so, she heard the tell tale ‘snap’ of breaking bones, and a small sigh escaped her lips.

She could have ignored some bruises, maybe a busted lip. The training facility was home to more of those injuries than even some of the roughest bars in Kumogakure, but a broken arm was another thing entirely. And then to make it worse, the kunai wielding crybaby. . . cried. With reluctance, Kara pushed herself to standing upright as she plastered her ‘soothing and comforting expression meant to calm hysterical patients’ onto her face. Her heels made a resonating ‘click’ noise as she strode out of the shadows towards the group.

She could have moved stealthily if she had wanted to, she certainly had the coordination for it, but she wanted to give the masked vigilante time to make himself scarce if he so chose. He seemed genuinely upset over hurting the boy, and she didn’t want him to panic and assume that he was somehow in trouble for it. From her vantage point the boy deserved much more than a simple broken arm. Whether Tsumi left the area or not she would stride over to the injured young man and crouch down so she could examine his arm. “Well now, it seems you’ve gotten yourself into quite a pickle. It seems that you’ve gotten what I like to call, comeuppance.” The young man sniffed and sniveled as she spoke, the bully’s friends awkwardly standing around looking guilty as hell. Except the unconscious one, he obviously was not standing. Extending her metal arm she would casually release some of her magnetic sand and as the particulate snaked its way around the dropped kunai she would eventually grasp it with the blade pointed away from anyone nearby. “Now.” She said sternly, “I can do one of two things, but before you choose, understand that both have consequences. I can either take you to the hospital which will of course mean that I’ll need to explain to your parents what happened here.”

The boy’s eyes widened in horror at the mention of ‘parents’. Whether they fully realized it or not, they had caused quite a bit of trouble and what’s more, they were in the wrong. Even if none of that was true, no one liked having their parents called in. So when he shook his head ‘no’, she smiled and continued. “No? Well, there is one other option. I have a good deal of work to be done around here and since I have to spend time dealing with you I am unable to do it myself. So I’ll tell you what; I’ll fix your arm, and you do some chores for me.” As she offered her first option she would give a sly wink to Tsumi, trying to let him know that these people wouldn’t get off as easy as all that. Still crouched and holding the discarded kunai she would wait to see what the young man’s reply would be.

Tsumi would note as if out of nowhere the approach of a woman. His attention turning to the sound of her heels on the concrete as it clacked towards them. She wasn't trying to hide her approach at all. Was she some sort of super villain? Perhaps these were just her minions. If that was the case his actions had lured out the boss. Of course her lackies couldn't take him so she would put him in his place. This was where he could make a stand. His aura around him began to build up (Theatrical) as a lower charge than hers by far. Yet He would back off about ten paces from the boys as he lifted up his guard. He wasn't sure why but he knew she wasn't someone to just charge. His instincts told him he wouldn't get far. Of course there was always the demon form to fall back on. Around him thin wisps of red chakra connected to his katon chakra would rise and fade around him. He was prepared for this. He was prepared to defend the kid on the ground. His expression on the lower half of his face and the gold in his eyes suggested a strong determination.

But he was wrong. His assumptions were entirely off the mark. Mostly because he read too many comics. She walked towards the boys instead and he would listen to her words. The trails of katon chakra energy fading as his realization of his own mistake began to take hold on him. Well the timing was odd but not too much right? Still he would lower his defensive stance and place his hands on his hips. Chewing on his inner right cheek slightly as he watched. She was offering them options to make up for their mistakes instead of just beating them up. Tsumi hadn't meant to take things so far and though the third boy was stirring he looked like he may have a concussion. Though the boy they had beat up was still limp on the ground. Tsumi would wait as the boys that were present there mentally agreed to chores begrudgingly. He would smile a little but he hoped that this meant they learned their lesson. Still he was concerned for the amount of injuries there. Especially those of the victim. He was beat up pretty badly. Still he would wait until she did what she had to with the three attackers and hopefully sent them off before he would approach cautiously.

Tsumi would stop about three meters away and he appeared to be nervous. His eyes with their golden glow swapping between her and the victim lying on the ground. Still unconscious. Finally he would place his arms to his sides and bow his head. He felt he was in the wrong for going so far against some other genin even if he was one himself. After all he had never won a spar before. He had beaten up some bandits and random thugs but never another genin before. Still he would bow his head low and speak.

"I am not sure who you are...but thank you for your help lady. As a hero I should have held back more and defeated these ruffians with more grace. But....If you could help their victim...I will offer to do chores as well. Please...."

Kara would tend to the three bullies and then send them off on their work details. The toilets in the Training Facility were notoriously in constant need of cleaning and it seemed an appropriate punishment for shit disturbers. Once the three bullies had left the area, Kara would turn her attention to the masked shinobi who had approached her and bowed respectfully. She listened to his request and smiled kindly, taking a step forward and attempted to place her palm gently on the man’s shoulder. She could see that he was perhaps delusional, or more likely doing his job while enjoying the fantasy of being some kind of super hero. She didn’t see anything wrong with that, what she had seen from him was although his outfit could use some upgrades - his methods were effective and sound.

If Tsumi raised his head were she able to place her organic hand on his shoulder she would address his concerns, if he didn’t she would first ask him to rise and then speak. “Of course I’ll help him, he seems far more hurt than the others were so I’ll probably have to send him to the hospital, but he’ll be fine. It was good that you showed up when you did, untrained shinobi like those ruffians don’t really understand how much damage you can do and how dangerous it is. But it seems. . .” She would walk over to the unconscious boy and examine him quickly. “. . .you stopped them before they were able to do any permanent damage. A day with the best care and he’ll be right as rain.”

A guard had shown up while she was speaking, and addressed her quietly. Kara would move over to the guard and instruct him on the care for the unconscious boy, reassuring him that all involved were being taken care of by her. The guard had no reason to question the creator of the Facility so he took the unconscious boy to the front of the Facility where he would be transported to the hospital. This left Tsumi, assuming he stayed, and Kara alone in the Urban Training room, and Kara would then turn once more to speak to the Genin. “I am Kara Darhk. Among other things, I created this Facility, so when it comes to how it is managed or maintained I have a certain amount of sway. I won’t require you to do any chores of anything like that. You did nothing wrong, masked stranger. I am, however, interested in you. I understand that your secret identity is supposed to be, well, secret. But if you would indulge me, I would like to know how you managed to be here in time to save that boy’s life. It isn’t too late, we could go get something to eat and you could explain if you like. Or just some hot chocolate, whatever you like is fine. My treat of course, since it seems I owe you for successfully avoiding what could have been an HR nightmare.” She would allow Tsumi to set their destination, as well as the level of secrecy he maintained. If he wanted to keep his mask on, that was fine with her - she wouldn’t pry. While he seemed nervous that he had done something wrong, she was sincerely intrigued by the idea of a fearless masked vigilante.

Tsumi seemed nervous. He had been caught his first night out as a vigilante. And clearly this woman wasn't just some civilian. It was clear she held sway but to his surprise a certain level of kindness. She let the boys off with some cruddy duties and even healed the damage he had done. As if it had never happened. His eyes stared in wonder at the ninja magic. Much like ninjutsu and genjutsu and fuuinjutsu and pretty much anything that wasn't taijutsu, he had failed in Ijutsu. They always said he was likely to win some martial arts tournament one day but being a ninja wasn't meant for him. He disagreed though. He knew he was meant to do something meaningful. To change lives. He didn't care about money or fame really. He just wanted to be loved. By saving people that could come to pass for him. So he was something else. He was a hero. Still even as she reassured him that he had done well his eyes shifted passed her. A guard had arrived. The popo! The 5 oh!. Shit his goose was cooked. The vigilante act was at its end yo! Or maybe he could get away still?

Tsumi jumped a little as the guy passed right by him. He had been thinking about what to do so much he had panicked. His arms raised defensively in poor posture but the guard didn't seem to give a flying fudgesicle about him. He was here to collect as he was bidden by the lady. Didn't say a word to Tsumi. Just scooped up the kid like a baby to a wet nurse and turned to take him to the hospital. Tsumi just kinda stared with an expression that with his mask could best be described as the sound 'huh'. All his freaking out and this guy didn't give two shits. Instead his attention would turn back to the woman. Dumbfounded as he was he understood after a moment what she was saying. His eyes lifted and looked around him. People could live here if not for the constant area destroying training. It wasn't a replica but an actual small town. Even the sky was replicated so it was indefinably different. Kara was a creator of worlds. And he was just Tsumi. Just an orphan boy who dreamed to big he had thought. Was something like this truly possible? How could he contribute to the world like this?

Still the offer to eat made his stomach audibly growl. As if it were another creature screaming at Tsumi to pay attention. He would glance down at it before a blush rushed to his cheeks. For now he was living on Ramen a lot. Up until he moved into the palace that is. They gave him whatever he wanted but...he found even in the palace he missed the simple things. A fresh bowl of ramen with a little bit of a personal touch always made him feel better. So he had been eating that almost exclusively lately. Studying built the appetite after all. Still he would smile warmly. Utterly forgetting he looked like an utter fool with his bed sheet mask. Forgetting he was even wearing it actually.

"Soooo you treat me to barbecue and I answer questions....without revealing my secret identity? Oh uh...*Cough Cough* It was only my duty ma'am. A hero is always there when he is most needed. However if you were perhaps already planning a night out I would be inclined to join you." He obviously had been reading fantasy comics. He was mimicking speech patterns after all.

Kara couldn’t see Tsumi’s smile through his bed sheet mask, but she could see the warmth of it in his eyes and she smiled back. She heard the change in his tone of voice as he accepted her offer of food but didn’t draw attention to it, allowing his heroic voice to seem normal and validate his heroic persona. At his suggestion of barbecue Kara would nod and gesture in the general direction of the exit. “That sounds like an excellent plan, barbecue it is. I know of one that is not far from here. Now, we can exit through the front, or if you like I happen to have access to the back exit as well. Either way I would feel quite at ease with you as an escort.” She would allow Tsumi to choose either the more public front entrance or the more secluded rear exit. Whichever one he chose she would walk alongside him and facilitate an easy exit from the building - any questions posed by security were waved away with a dismissive hand and a professional smile.

Assuming that Tsumi walked along with her, she would walk through the streets towards the restaurant, ‘Smokeland’. The whole way Doku, Kara’s bodyguard, would trail along at a respectful distance. The tall dark haired man was the spitting image of Damien Darhk but he did his best to blend in and not intrude on the idle chit chat that Kara tried to engage in with Tsumi as they walked. It would be obvious long before they arrived that they were drawing near to the famous barbecue restaurant, the delicious scent of slowly cured meats wafted on the breeze. Kara was a vegetarian and didn’t eat meat, but she could still appreciate the smell of well cooked meats. The rustic looking building quickly came into view; a one story wooden building with a faux partial second story that had windows all along the outside with brightly painted wooden shutters that allowed passersby to view the delicious foods served within. When they passed through the front door the staff would rush to assist them, and Kara would request a private booth in the back. A typical request for Kara, she wasn’t one to dine publicly when she didn’t want to make a scene.

“At once, Mistress Kara.” The host said quickly, scurrying along to clear the way for her and make the space available. Kara quietly followed along and would take a seat facing the door when it was offered, Doku taking up his post not far away, leaning on a wall with one of his hands resting easily on the hilt of his katana. Once she was seated she would turn to the host and smile politely. “A bottle of warmed sake if you would, and whatever my friend would like.” She gestured towards Tsumi with her metal prosthetic when she said ‘friend’, and gave him a more sincere smile. “I expect you have quite the appetite after such an impressive display.”

Tsumi would smile with the sheet wrapped around the upper part of his face. Eye holes poked out roughly but his smile was clear to see. After all it was the villains who hid their full face. True heros smiled because a heros smile could lift the hearts of hundreds. So he wouldn't hide those pearly whites or those golden eyes. Still she agreed and let him decide if they would go through the front door or the back. He would think on it a moment before opting for. "For now Madam my reveal can not be done. The world is not ready for it. Uh...so a hero must uh...exit out the back. Avoid panic or something ya know?" before he would nod as if reassuring himself. Then with her in tow he would head for the back way. Finding it fairly quickly. Acting as if he was being stealthy but utterly missing any security she had to wave off. Thinking his ninja skills were paying off without even registering her interference. They made it out of the facility after a minute or two. His nose sniffing the air as she led the way. He wasn't even sure where they were going.

Still he would follow and mostly answer any small chit chat she wanted without revealing much about himself. At least nothing he was aware of. The smell of barbecue however and smoked meats was beginning to fill the air so much his stomach had begun to rumble. He could tell they were getting close. Truth be told Tsumi wasn't even aware of the other man who was with them. Not yet anyway as he loomed behind Tsumi some distance. Ready and able to cut him down at a moments notice. His situational awareness (Tsumi's) was lacking. Still his eyes would widen as they approached a more famous location. One he had always thought a bit out of his price range. Still the rush of attendants had him taken back as he raised his hands semi defensively. However they seemed to utterly ignore his presence. Instead Kara would be welcomed and they would be escorted quickly to a requested private space. Once there he would finally notice the fierce man with them as he slowly and hesitantly sat. Unsure of everything suddenly working out. His hand even touched his mask to see if it was still there. Still Kara would speak to him as he replied with "Uh...Water thank you. A whole pitcher please." As far as he could tell they were just ordering beverages at the moment and he didn't think ordering a protein shake would be on the menu. So Hydrate or Dydrate!. Still he was a bit nervous. Already he was caught by none other than a famous person. Maybe his reveal would start here?

"So uh....Ma'am....you had questions? As for my appetite....I am always hungry...as I am told most males my age are."

Kara would let Tsumi order anything he wanted, happy to keep the young man fed. She asked questions about his origins and inspirations for fighting crime, listening patiently and encouraging him to divulge his story. She ordered a salad and drank several glasses of wine, and eventually when it had become quite late she would stand and thank him, handing him a business card as she did so. “Thank you so much for your time, mysterious hero. I am inspired by you and I would like to invest in your future. Kumogakure is in dire need of people like you, and it would be remiss of me if I didn’t seize this opportunity. This is the address to my shop in town, you can find me there in the evenings most days. As an alternative I also run the Kumogakure hospital, and if I’m not there, someone there can direct you to me. I have the means and desire to outfit you in the best gear, someone needs to keep our streets safe.” With a professional smile she would leave the business card with him, or on the table if he chose not to take it, then in a swirl of black gown she would exit the restaurant after paying and leaving a sizable tip and head to her home.

[Exit Thread]

Tsumi would enjoy the food and wolf down several servings. Eventually getting too comfortable and divulging way more than he should. Even quoting on of his aunts using his name. He would finally eat his fill as she spoke about inviting him to her shop before saying something agreeable but incomprehensible through a mouth full of mashed potatoes. Still he was smiling with a bright look in his eyes over making a new friend. Despite her guard not really seeming to like him. He would look at the business card before placing it into his pocket. A slight headache forming as he felt under the weather. Besides he had training with Ryuko in the morning. So he would thank the staff and head straight home. Happy with being a good hero for the day. Though not sure if he could afford the new suit she mentioned.


Exit thread
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